There’s been quite the buzz around zero waste over the last few years — and for good reason. As consumerism continues to mount worldwide, so is our trash and pollution problem. Oceans and waterways are clogged with ever increasing garbage, while massive landfills are unable to keep up with the sheer amount of refuge thrown their way. In response, up cycling movements have been slowly, but steadily, gaining momentum throughout Europe, and now in the United States and Canada as well.

Typically, zero waste is associated with innovative grocery markets like this one or as a personal quest to reduce our trash footprint to, well, zero. But the definition is expanding as more clothing manufacturers join the call to rein-in their wasteful practices. Considering fast fashion is the second dirtiest industry in the world, next to big oil, reforming this toxic business is one of the best things we can do for the health of the planet — and our own.

The Fashion Industry is Booming — and Destroying the Environment

It’s difficult to get our heads around the sheer number of people living on the planet today — with 7 billion and counting, the idea is almost unfathonable. Writer Melissa Breyer of TreeHugger gives the following analogy of just how many people inhabit planet earth and how it’s affecting the eco-system, especially when we look at the clothing we own.

“If you count one number a second without stopping until you reach a billion, you’d be counting for 31 years, 259 days, 1 hours, 46 minutes, and 40 seconds. That’s how much a billion is.